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The Great Sioux Nation was the collective identity of three major Native American tribes in the Northern Great Plains: the Oglala Lakota (or Oglala Sioux), the Eastern Dakota, and the Western Dakota (or Yanktonai). The modern Sioux people comprise several sub-groups: the Lakota, Santee, Yankton, and Yanktonai.

In the early 18th century, Siouan-speaking tribes lived in the Great Lakes region of the United States of America. They occasionally encountered French fur traders but remained relatively remote until after the 1709 exploration of the upper Mississippi River by the explorer Sieur de La Salle. The main reason for this was that, at least until 1729, for the Sioux, warfare was a relatively minor enterprise compared to hunting.

The Sioux lived in bands, by which they meant loosely organized subgroups of related families. The bands were led by hereditary or chosen headmen, who had limited power overhunting, land use, and settling internal disputes. They would consult with each other and sometimes with spiritual leaders for advice on these issues.

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